Chemokines are chemotactic cytokines that are released by a wide variety of cells to attract macrophages, T-cells, eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils and endothelial cells to sites of inflammation and tumor growth. There are two main classes of chemokines, the CXC-chemokines and the CC-chemokines. The class depends on whether the first two cystepnes are separated by a single amino acid (CXC-chemokines) or are adjacent (CC-chemokines). The CXC-chemokines include interleukin-8 (IL-8), neutrophil-activating protein-1 (NAP-1), neutrophil-activating protein-2 (NAP-2), GROα, GROβ, GROγ, ENA-78, GCP-2, IP-10, MIG and PF4. CC chemokines include RANTES, MIP-1α, MIP-2β, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), MCP-2, MCP-3 and eotaxin. Individual members of the chemokine families are known to be bound by at least one chemokine receptor, with CXC-chemokines generally bound by members of the CXCR class of receptors, and CC-chemokines by members of the CCR class of receptors. For example, IL-8 is bound by the CXCR-1 and CXCR-2 receptors.
Since CXC-chemokines promote the accumulation and activation of neutrophils, these chemokines have been implicated in a wide range of acute and chronic inflammatory disorders including psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Baggiolini et al., FEBS Lett. 307, 97 (1992); Miller et al., Crit. Rev. Immunol. 12, 17 (1992); Oppenheim et al., Annu. Fev. Immunol. 9, 617 (1991); Seitz et al., J. Clin. Invest. 87, 463 (1991); Miller et al., Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. 146, 427 (1992); Donnely et al., Lancet 341, 643(1993).
ELRCXC chemokines including IL-8, GROα, GROβ, GROγ, NAP-2, and ENA-78 (Strieter et al. 1995 JBC 270 p. 27348–57) have also been implicated in the induction of tumor angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth). All of these chemokines are believed to exert their actions by binding to the 7 transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor CXCR2 (also known as IL-8RB), while IL-8 also binds CXCR1 (also known as IL-8RA). Thus, their angiogenic activity is due to their binding to and activation of CXCR2, and possible CXCR1 for IL-8, expressed on the surface of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in surrounding vessels.
Many different types of tumors have been shown to produce ELRCXC chemokines and their production has been correlated with a more aggressive phenotype (Inoue et al. 2000 Clin Cancer Res 6 p. 2104–2119) and poor prognosis (Yoneda et. al. 1998 J Nat Cancer Inst 90 p. 447–454). Chemokines are potent chemotactic factors and the ELRCXC chemokines have been shown to induce EC chemotaxis. Thus, these chemokines probably induce chemotaxis of endothelial cells toward their site of production in the tumor. This may be a critical step in the induction of angiogenesis by the tumor. Inhibitors of CXCR2 or dual inhibitors of CXCR2 and CXCR1 will inhibit the angiogenic activity of the ELRCXC chemokines and therefore block the growth of the tumor. This anti-tumor activity has been demonstrated for antibodies to IL-8 (Arenberg et al. 1996 J Clin Invest 97 p. 2792–2802), ENA-78 (Arenberg et al. 1998 J Clin Invest 102 p. 465–72), and GROα (Haghnegahdar et al. J. Leukoc Biology 2000 67 p. 53–62).
Many tumor cells have also been shown to express CXCR2 and thus tumor cells may also stimulate their own growth when they secrete ELRCXC chemokines. Thus, along with decreasing angiogenesis, inhibitors of CXCR2 may directly inhibit the growth of tumor cells.
Hence, the CXC-chemokine receptors represent promising targets for the development of novel anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor agents.
There remains a need for compounds that are capable of modulating activity at CXC-chemokine receptors. For example, conditions associated with an increase in IL-8 production (which is responsible for chemotaxis of neutrophil and T-cell subsets into the inflammatory site and growth of tumors) would benefit by compounds that are inhibitors of IL-8 receptor binding.